Sure-find drop wire



0. J. PLAYER SURE FINDKDROP WIRE Filed Jan. 8 1925" Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

OSTEEN J. PLAYER, OF

ROCKINGHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR 0F TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF PER CENT .TO H. L. LAWS, TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF PER- CENT TO E. H. BOWLING, TEN PER CENT TO G. T.

MCARTHUR, AND TEN PER- CENT TO J. C. CLARKE, ALL OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.

sunE-Fmn nnor WIRE.

Application filed January-8, 1925. Serial No. 1,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSTEEN J. PLAYER,

a citizen pithellnited States, residing at Rockingham, in the county of Richmond and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Sure- Find Drop Wire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tov improvements in drop wires, steel heddles or detectors which are used in conjunction with the warp stop motion of looms, warpers and other like devices.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide means whereby the movement of a drop wire or detector to an operative position when the warp thread associated therewith has become broken or undue slaekness in the thread has occurred may be readily and easily ascertained.

A further object is to provlde a drop wire,

steel heddle or warper for the warp stop motion of looms which includes a means for visually detecting the movement of the drop wire to an operative position when thewarp thread has become broken, or slackness occurred therein.

Where a series of drop wires or detectors are maintained in alignment in an inoperative position by the normal warp threads associated with the respective drop wires, or heddles, considerlongitudinally movable able difiieulty 1s experienced in locating the" drop wire or detector which has moved. downwardly into an 0 position by reason of t e warp thread breaking or slack occurring. therein, due to the fact that the drop wires are closely asso ciated with each other and considerable time and labor is spent in locating the drop wire which has been lowered.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a drop wire, or heddles wherein means is associated therewith for enabling a person to visibly detect one of a series of drop wires which has been lowered, thereby saving considerable time and labor.

A further object is to provide a drop wire wherein means is associated therewith for facilitatingthe raising or liftin of the same after the same has been lowere erative or indicating A further object is to provide a drop wire of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable and further well adapted for the purposes for which it is designated.

description.

numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a pers ective view .of a series of drop wires or he dles or detectors showing the same mounted on a supporting or guide bar, and illustratin one of the drop wires or heddles dispose in an operative or indicating position.

Figure 2 1s a side elevation of one of the drop wires or heddles embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is a form of a drop Wire or heddle embodying my invention, and

' Figure 4 is a side elevation 0f,.fl-..Still further form.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, with reference more particularly to Figures 1 andi2, the drop Wire 1 is formed of a flat strip of metal, the same being of the requisite len th and width. The drop wire. 1 is provi ed with a circular openin 2 in the intermediate portion thereof whie provides the usual warp eye for receiving the usual warp thread 3 in the manner well known in the art.

The upper portion of the drop wire or detector 1 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 4 which provides a guideifor the drop wire. The usual sup orting or guide bar 5 extends transversely t irough the longitudinal slot 1 of each drop wire and normally the bar 5 is disposed in the lowermost portion of the slots in the series" of aligned drop wires as clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

A projection 6 extends laterally from the upper end of the drop wire or heddle 1. The lateral projection 6 is disposed substantially adjacent the upper end of the longitudinal slot 4; by substantially adj aeent I mean that side elevation of another the projection is contiguous of or adjoins the of the drop wires or heddles are in upper end of the slot, and the purpose thereof will be presentl apparent; To render the drop wire 1 lig t in weight, the upper end thereof is provided with the cut out portion or opening 7 as more clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

When the series of drop wires or heddles are in their normal inoperative positions, the projections 6 formed on the upper ends ali ment with each other. As soon asone b f the warp threads break or an undue slackness occurs, the drop wire associated with .such warp thread will move downwardly, the guide slot 4 permitting the vertical movement of the drop wire or heddle so that the upper portion of the slot will rest on the upper edge of the supporting bar 5. The drop wire which hasbeen afl'ected due to the breaking of the warp thread will have its projection 6 disposed out of alignment with the projections of the remaining series of drop wires or heddles in a manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1 whereby the operatorof the loom or warper may readily locate the drop wire, heddle, or detector which has moved to an operative position at a glance, thus obviating the necessity of having to em loy a drop wire or detector finder and w ich-necessitates the loss of considerable time and labor.

The drop wire or heddle, which has been lowered, may be raised by engaging the bottom edge of the lateral projection with a suitable hook or by placin the hook in engagement with the openlng 7 independently of the slot 4 so that the drop wire may be readily and easily raised to its level position in alinement with the remaining series of drop wires or heddles.

The provision of the lateral projection 6 affords a means for visuallydetecting or ascertaining at a glance the position of the drop wires or heddles. Ordinarily with the drop wires or heddles now in use, it is impossible to detect a drop wire or heddle which has been moved to an operative position through any visual means due to the fact that the drop wires or heddles are closely associated with each other on the supporting bar or bars and are all arranged in vertical alignment. Furthermore, the drop wires, heddles, or detectors now universally used are not provided with any projections or the like for the purposes above set forth.

In Fi ure 3 of the drawing, the upper end of the drop wire or heddle is provided with an enlarged circular head 8 which provides a means for visually ascertaining the position of the drop wire or heddle when the latter is used in connection with single warp threads. In Figure 4 of the drawing, the visual detecting means provided on the upper end of the drop wire or heddle is in the form of an offset substantially circular head as illustrated at 9.

The circular heads formed on the upper ends of the drop wires shown in the modification are eachprovided with an enlarged opening, the same being disposed above the upper ends of each of the longitudinal guide slots and these openings provide a means for receiving a hook to'facilitate the raising of the drop wire after the same has been lowered, The provision of the opening at a point above the upper end of the longitudinal slot in each of the drop wires will enable the drop wires to be read ily lifted or raised without necessitating the placing of the hooks which are em'- ployed for. raising the drop wires in the longitudinal guide slots. When one of the warp threads is broken, the drop wire associated therewith will move downwardly so that the upper end of the longit'udinal slotthe simplicity in which the device is constructed furthermore enabling the same to be manufactured at a very low cost.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various chan es in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. l

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isz- 1. In a drop wire for looms wherein the same is providedwith the usual longitudinal guide slot in the upper portion thereof to receive the usual guide bar, and a warp thread receiving opening below said slot, of means extending beyond the side edge of the upper portion of the drop wire at a point adjoining the upper end of the slot whereby the drop wire may bereadily visible when the same becomes lowered, said means being provided with a hook receiving opening to facilitate the raising of the drop wire, the opening being formed at a point above the upper end of the longitudinal guide slot.

2. In a drop wire for looms wherein the same is provided with the usual longitudinal guide slot in the upper portion thereof to receive the usual uide bar, of means extending beyond the side edge of the upper portion of the drop wire at a point above the upper end of the longitudinal adjoining the upper end of the slot, whereguide slot, said dropwire beingprovided by the drop wire may be readily visible vwith a warp thread receiving opening ate 0 I when the same becomes lowered, said means point below the indicating means. 7 i

5 being provided with.a hook receiving open- In testimony whereof I aflix my signer-- ing to facilitate the raising of the drop ture.

wire, the opening being formed at a point OSTEEN J. PLAYER. 

